An Aberdeenshire community group is poised to breathe new life into a disused hotel by reopening it as a cafe next week.
The locals who form the Udny Community Trust group bought the former Linsmohr Hotel in Pitmedden in March but had to place their plans for the venue on hold when the pandemic struck.
The building will now reopen for the first time in almost 18 months on Monday, as an eatery with accompanying community facilities.
Opening the café has been a long-held dream of Pitmedden residents, who joined forces to revive the prominent building in the heart of the village. Their crusade was boosted by a £100,000 grant from the Scottish Land Fund in support of the project.
Brian McDougall, chairman of the Udny Community Trust, said past consultations had revealed that residents most wanted to see the old hotel brought back to life as a cafe.
He added that he was “absolutely delighted” to confirm its opening date.
The community cafe is expected to become a warm and welcoming meeting place for local families and visitors with space for toddler and youth clubs, as well as health and wellbeing facilities.
A team of both paid staff and dedicated volunteers will be in charge of serving a wide range of locally produced food to cater for most tastes and dietary requirements.
Anyone who would like to get involved with the community project can contact Undy Community Trust on their web page.
